Last week we dug the rest of our six trial variety potatoes. We planted five tubers each of Orla, Vivaldi, Valor, Setanta, Amour and Blue Belle which we bought at a local garden centre's potato day. Orla and Vivaldi, being early varieties, had already been lifted.
I envy your runner beans and peas, and your potatoes look amazing. That's too bad about the wireworm damage but it looks like you had a great potato harvest.
Hopefully the dry weather will come so your onions can manage to dry out. We've had a very wet end of summer, so the summery plants are on their last legs.
A few miserable days here, but following with another burst of summer, by all accounts, and I think I'm going to pick my apples, which is very early but they seem ready. Better that than let the wasps have them! Everything looks so good with you, as ever. Too bad about the wire worm damage though. I stopped growing potatoes because of so much constant slug damage.
Interesting point - HOW do commercial growers get whole trusses of tomatoes to ripen at the same time? Mine always ripen in succession, and the first ones would be over-ripe before the last ones were ready. Your harvest success this year is definitely "A game of two halves" - some good, some bad - but then that's typical of an amateur setup, isn't it?. I have just stashed 3.5kgs of tomatoes in the fridge, to stop them ripening too quickly because we can't keep up with them.
Your harvests look beautiful and wasn't that a wonderful surprise with the peas! I've been harvesting a few from my vines as well, although the vines don't look anywhere near as lush as yours. And Sungolds were the first to ripen in our garden too. Once again I planted far too many cherry tomatoes and we are swimming in them.
It's too bad about the rain on the onions and shallots. Our humidity is too bad for me to even think about drying anything outside. Interesting potato experiment too. It looks like overall it was worth it, yield wise, except for the wireworm and slug issues. I agree with you about the trusses of tomatoes. Mine never ripen all at once. I'm thinking the ones in the markets have been gassed to make them ripen evenly.
What a shame it rained! Interesting reading about the potato trials, will be interested to hear how they tasted. I hope you managed to use the plums despite the damage.xxx
Oh that's a good haul Sue. I'm sorry for not commenting recently but my mum has been in hospital for most of this month so I've not had much time for blog visiting. I've just come home for a couple of days before heading south again. I visited the allotment yesterday and groaned at the weeds but lifted the best crop of shallots I've ever grown :)
I've never thought of having a full truss ripen at once before. Mike plucks them off as soon as they ripen. I spy yellow raspberries I'm still waiting for mine to turn yellow. x
Well, at least you know what needs to be done during a drought!!--Harvest something that you don't want rained on! So sorry about that. Mother Nature has a wicked sense of humor!
What a shame about the plums. They look wonderful.
That's an amazing harvest. I always envy you a little when I see you can grow peas so late in the season. Mine died from the heat in June. Those Blue belle potatoes look really cute with all those spots on them, although I bet they are hard to sell in the market. I can already see people complaining that the potatoes are damaged :D
The peas are doing well this year, Leanan maybe due to a poor summer. We are unlikely to grow Blue Belle again as they didn't crop as well as other varieties.
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment - it is great to hear from you and know that there are people out there actually reading what I write! Come back soon. (By the way any comments just to promote a commercial site, or any comments not directly linked to the theme of my blog, will be deleted) I am getting quite a lot of spam. It is not published and is just deleted. I have stopped sifting through it and just delete any that ends up in my spam folder in one go so I am sorry if one of your messages is deleted accidentally. Comments to posts over five days old are all moderated.
I envy your runner beans and peas, and your potatoes look amazing. That's too bad about the wireworm damage but it looks like you had a great potato harvest.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the dry weather will come so your onions can manage to dry out. We've had a very wet end of summer, so the summery plants are on their last legs.
At least the damage wasn't as bad as we expected it was going to be, Phuong.
DeleteA few miserable days here, but following with another burst of summer, by all accounts, and I think I'm going to pick my apples, which is very early but they seem ready. Better that than let the wasps have them!
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so good with you, as ever. Too bad about the wire worm damage though. I stopped growing potatoes because of so much constant slug damage.
The wasps soon find a way in don't they, Deborah? It can be a lottery picking plums.
DeleteInteresting point - HOW do commercial growers get whole trusses of tomatoes to ripen at the same time? Mine always ripen in succession, and the first ones would be over-ripe before the last ones were ready. Your harvest success this year is definitely "A game of two halves" - some good, some bad - but then that's typical of an amateur setup, isn't it?. I have just stashed 3.5kgs of tomatoes in the fridge, to stop them ripening too quickly because we can't keep up with them.
ReplyDeleteThere always are winners and losers, Mark. I'm guessing, Dave is correct and they use gas on them.
DeleteYour harvests look beautiful and wasn't that a wonderful surprise with the peas! I've been harvesting a few from my vines as well, although the vines don't look anywhere near as lush as yours. And Sungolds were the first to ripen in our garden too. Once again I planted far too many cherry tomatoes and we are swimming in them.
ReplyDeleteWe do sow our peas quite thickly, Margaret. Sungold always seem to be the first don't they?
DeleteIt's too bad about the rain on the onions and shallots. Our humidity is too bad for me to even think about drying anything outside. Interesting potato experiment too. It looks like overall it was worth it, yield wise, except for the wireworm and slug issues. I agree with you about the trusses of tomatoes. Mine never ripen all at once. I'm thinking the ones in the markets have been gassed to make them ripen evenly.
ReplyDeleteThe damage wasn't too bad really, Dave. I guess you are spot on with the tomato ripening.
DeleteWhat a shame it rained! Interesting reading about the potato trials, will be interested to hear how they tasted. I hope you managed to use the plums despite the damage.xxx
ReplyDeleteWe couldn't use the maggoty ones, Dina.
DeleteOh that's a good haul Sue. I'm sorry for not commenting recently but my mum has been in hospital for most of this month so I've not had much time for blog visiting. I've just come home for a couple of days before heading south again. I visited the allotment yesterday and groaned at the weeds but lifted the best crop of shallots I've ever grown :)
ReplyDeleteSorry about your mum, Anna. I hope that she is on the mend.
DeleteI've never thought of having a full truss ripen at once before. Mike plucks them off as soon as they ripen. I spy yellow raspberries I'm still waiting for mine to turn yellow. x
ReplyDeleteOur yellow raspberries are steadily ripening, Jo but I find that they quickly spoil if you don't pick them quickly.
DeleteWell, at least you know what needs to be done during a drought!!--Harvest something that you don't want rained on! So sorry about that. Mother Nature has a wicked sense of humor!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame about the plums. They look wonderful.
We have managed some grub free plums since, Sue but the grubs have had more than their fair share
DeleteThat's an amazing harvest. I always envy you a little when I see you can grow peas so late in the season. Mine died from the heat in June. Those Blue belle potatoes look really cute with all those spots on them, although I bet they are hard to sell in the market. I can already see people complaining that the potatoes are damaged :D
ReplyDeleteThe peas are doing well this year, Leanan maybe due to a poor summer.
DeleteWe are unlikely to grow Blue Belle again as they didn't crop as well as other varieties.
So lovely, Sue!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Endah
DeleteHow beautiful collection of delicious fruits and vegetables!
ReplyDeleteGreetings
Thank you, Ela
Delete